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Preparing for the interview for a K-1 fiancé visa


You fell in love with an American, and now you want to come to the U.S. to get married. You’re probably already aware that in order to do so, you first need to obtain a K-1 fiancé visa. The visa application process can be long and complicated. In this post, we provide a step-by-step guide to preparing for your K-1 visa interview – which occurs after your petition (Form I-129F) is approved.

Once the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS) approves your petition, the National Visa Center (NVC) will send you a letter with an appointed interview date. It is important that you do all of the following before your interview:

Get a medical examination.

Keep in mind the following requirements:

  • It must be with an embassy-approved doctor.
  • It must take place in the same country as your interview.
  • You must get any required vaccinations required for visa immigrant applicants under U.S. immigration law.

Follow embassy-specific interview requirements.

  • The embassy or consulate where you’re interviewing may require you to pre-register for courier service. This allows them to send you your passport and/or visa.
  • Cell phones are prohibited on the premises in some consulates and embassies.
  • Other restrictions may apply to your interview location. Research your location in advance to ensure you’re in compliance with their regulations.

Take all necessary interview documentation with you to the interview.

Note: You must provide all of the following documents at your interview, regardless of whether you previously sent photocopies of them to the NVC.

  • The interview appointment letter you received from the NVC
  • Your passport – which must be valid for six months after the date you plan to enter the U.S.
  • 1 photocopy of the biographic page of your passport (the page with your name and photo)
  • 2 color photos of yourself on a white background, measuring 2×2 inches
  • 1 original and 1 photocopy of any required civil documents
  • Certified translations of any document that is not in English or in the language of the country where you are interviewing
  • Medical examination results in a sealed envelope from the medical office
  • The confirmation page from Form DS-260 (Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration)

Note that additional documentation is required for family-based visa applications.

The U.S. government strictly enforces the above requirements, so it is critical that you follow all of the above guidelines exactly. If you provide incomplete documentation or fail to complete all parts of the pre-interview preparation, you could face delays with your application.